Diver&#39;s flag



Sept. 22, 1964 J. s. CHRISTIANSEN 3,14

DIVER 's FLAG Filed May 21, 1962 rib/mes 5. fiwwsr/mvssn INVENTOR.

BY Z/m United States Patent 3,149,352 DIVERS FLAG James S. Christiansen,Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Healthways, Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation of California Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,10 Claims.(Cl. 9-8) This invention relates to diving, and particularly to a diversflag.

Such flags are used primarily for indicating the location of a diverbelow the water surface for various safety purposes. customarily a diverties a line to the float.

In the past, inflatable rafts or other devices have been used that lieflat upon the water for signalling the divers position. Such floatingdevices cannot readily be sighted, except from above. A craft can easilylose track of a diver that relies only on such means.

An upright flag is more easily sighted. Hence it has been the practiceto aflix a rod or pole to a float, and tie a flag to the top. Ballast isadded to the float, and hopefully the rig stays together. The connectionof the pole, float and ballast may not always be secure, and there isthus a danger of loss. A conventional flag cant be sighted when there isno wind to hold it extended or when the flag is so wet that it clings tothe pole. A pole or rod furthermore is cumbersome gear for a diver tocarry around when not in use.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a novelflag that overcomes all of these disadvantages. For this purpose, theflag comprises a unitary, inflatable device having provisions forattachment of a conventional belt weight. A diver customarily carriesextra belt Weights with him in any event. The device incorporates aflag, and floats upright under the influence of the attached ballastweight. When deflated, the float occupies minimal space.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form inthe drawings accompanying and forming a part of the presentspecification, and which drawings, unless as otherwise indicated, aretrue scale. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating thegeneral principles of the invention; but it is to be understood thatthis detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, sincethe scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a divers flag incorporating the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 22of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged, fragmentary sectional views taken along aplane corresponding to lines 33 and 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along a planecorresponding to line 55 of FIG. 1.

The flag shown in FIG. 1 comprises front and rear layers or plies 11 and12 of flexible plastic material that is relatively impervious to air andcapable of being heat welded. The plies 11 and 12 are of identicalpattern, peripherally sealed in a manner to be hereinafter described toform a closed space for air. Appropriate printed matter as at 13 may beapplied to the plies. A releasable check valve 14 is attached to one ofthe plies 11 for admission and release of air. The place of attachmentof the valve 14 is at a low point so that a malfunction would allow onlya minimum amount of air to escape and not render the flag ineffective.

3,149,352 Patented Sept. 22, 1964 A peripheral Weld 15 secures the plies11 and 12 together to define a sealed structure.

The configuration of the plies is such as to provide a vertical post orbuoy portion 16 and a flag portion 17 extending at right angles from thetop of the post or buoy 16.

The buoyancy is provided by the post portion 16. The post portion 16 hasa configuration that tapers in both directions from a position ofmaximum girth at 18 located approximately one-third of the distancealong the post from the end opposite the flag 17.

A tab 19 projects beyond the peripheral seal 15, and itself isperipherally sealed at 15a. A grommet 20 is clinched to the tab 19 andprovides a means for attachment of the divers line (not shown).

In order to provide ballast to the flag or float 10, a conventionaldivers weight 21 is used. In the present instance the weight 21 is shownas having two apertures 22 and 22a which ordinarily receive a diversweight belt. But the float 10 carries a depending strip 23 to which theweight 21 can be detachably connected. The strip 23 has a widthcorresponding to that of a conventional divers weight belt, but in thisinstance is made of plastic for sealing between the plies 11 and 12 atthe lower end of the post (FIG. 2). The strip 23 is caught between adepending tab portion 24 of the float 10 located beyond peripheral seal15. A supplemental seal or weld as at 15b extends about the tab 24. Oneend of the strip 23 is within the tab area bounded by the supplementalseal 15b. The supplemental weld 15b thus projects across the strip 23and effectively attaches it. A grommet 26 is clinched to the rectangulararea bounded by the supplemental seal 15b and furthermore assists insecuring the strip 23 in place. The grommet 26 may also be used as anattaching means, as, for example, for tying a weight of different formto the float.

In order to secure the weight 21, the strip 23 is passed through one orboth of the apertures 22 or 22a. In this instance it is shown as passedthrough one of the apertures 22. A buckle 27 then secures the end 28 ofthe strip 23 to the main body thereof whereby a loop 29 is formed thatcloses about aperture 22.

The flag 17 is substantially uninflated and therefore flat. A V-shapedweld 30 extends from a point on the peripheral weld 15 at the upperportion of the flag 17, downwardly along the post to an interiorlylocated apex 30a, and thence diagonally upwardly to a point 150. on theperipheral weld adjacent the upper outer corner 31 of the flag. The weld30 therefore isolates substantially half of the interior space betweenthe plies and ensures its flatness.

A straight weld 32 isolates the other half of the flag and extends froma point 15e at the lower inner corner of the flag to a point 15 adjacentthe corner 31. The weld 32 parallels the diagonally extending leg of theweld 30 and forms therebetween an air column 33 (see also FIG. 4) incommunication with the interior of the post 16. This air column acts asa strut that keeps the flag 17 flat. Accordingly, when inflated, theflag 17 extends directly outwardly of the post so as to ensure itsvisibility.

An interior seam 34 extends from a point 15g below the corner 15e on theperipheral seam 15 upwardly in spaced parallel relationship to thesubstantially vertical leg of the V-shaped weld 30 and to an interiorpoint 35. This seam 34 forms a hinge, thereby enabling the flag toflutter even with a slight breeze. This weld line 34 also forms a smallair column 35 that acts as a brace to keep the upper end of the post 16straight even upon a slight loss of air. The point 35 is spaced as closeas possible to the peripheral seam 15 to ensure communication betweenthe post portion 16 and the air columns 35 and 3 33, while detracting aslittle as possible from the hinge action. In the present example, theinterior seam 34 is so situated as to form what appears to be the innerboundary of the flag 17.

The inventor claims:

1. In a divers flag: an inflatable device capable of being folded into acompact package for transport by a diver, comprising layers of flexiblematerial forming an enclosure for containing air, said layers togetherdefining a vertical inflatable post portion and a flag portion extendingfrom the top of the post portion; means attached to the bottom of thepost portion for securing a ballast weight; and seam means formingbracing air columns for maintaining the flag extended.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 together with a second seammeans forming a hinge for the base of the flag whereby the flag iscapable of binge movement with respect to the inflatable post portionfor promoting flutter.

3. In a divers flag: two companion plies of plastic material capable ofbeing thermally sealed and having characteristics suitable for forming afloat, there being a peripheral seal about the plies; the plies togetherdefining a post portion and a flag portion extending at right anglesfrom the top of said post portion; the flag portion having weldsdefining an air column brace from the lower inside corner of the flag tothe upper outside corner, with the remaining areas of the flag isolatedfrom the interior air.

4. In a divers flag: two companion plies of plastic material capable ofbeing thermally sealed and having characteristics suitable for forming afloat, there being a peripheral seal about the plies; the plies togetherdefining a post portion and a flag portion extending at right angles .4from the top of said post portion; the flag portion having weldsdefining an air column brace from the lower inside corner of the flag tothe upper outside corner, with the remaining areas of the flag isolatedfrom the interior air, said plies also having Welds defining an aircolumn forming a reinforcing beam for the upper end of the post.

5. In a divers flag: two companion plies of plastic material capable ofbeing thermally sealed and having characteristics suitable for forming afloat, there being a peripheral seal about the plies; the plies togetherdefining a post portion and a flag portion extending at right anglesfrom the top of said post portion; a V-shaped Weld extending from theupper inside corner of the flag at the peripheral weld downwardly to aninterior apex adjacent the lower inside corner, thence diagonallyupwardly to the peripheral weld at the upper outside corner; a Weldparalleling the diagonal portion of said V-shaped weld and extendingfrom the peripheral weld at the lower inside corner of the flag to theperipheral weld at the upper outside corner of the weld to define astrut for maintaining the flag extended at right angles to the post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS440,088 Grant Nov. 4, 1890 1,173,820 Logan Feb. 29, 1916 2,163,795Merralls June 27, 1939 2,732,823 Hanson Jan. 31, 1956 3,031,693 KirbyMay 1, 1962 3,042,940 Keaton July 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,786A GreatBritain Sept. 27, 1906

1. IN A DIVER''S FLAG: AN INFLATABLE DEVICE CAPABLE OF BEING FOLDED INTOA COMPACT PACKAGE FOR TRANSPORT BY A DIVER, COMPRISING LAYERS OFFLEXIBLE MATERIAL FORMING AN ENCLOSURE FOR CONTAINING AIR, SAID LAYERSTOGETHER DEFINING A VERTICAL INFLATABLE POST PORTION AND A FLAG PORTIONEX-